1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to combustion chamber construction in a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, is concerned with an improved arrangement for attachment of floatwall panels to a floatwall combustor shell of the combustion chamber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gas turbine engines with combustion chambers having a variety of wall constructions are common in the prior art. U.S. Pat. to Keast, Nos. 2,760,338; Fisher et al, 2,813,397; Hamm et al, 2,988,886; Cripe et al, 3,520,134; Jones et al, 4,149,373; and Kuznetsov et al, 4,302,932 illustrate various wall constructions and attachment structures for coupling wall segments and/or sections together.
It is a common design objective to provide a combustion chamber construction which will permit relative thermal expansion between combustion chamber parts as they operate in their separate areas of substantially different temperatures. Keast, Fisher et al and Kuznestov et al have attachment features intended to allow for differential thermal expansion between combustion chamber parts.
Due to extreme operating temperatures existing in the region of the combustion chamber, certain of its parts usually have a shorter life span than others. In spite of efforts to cool such parts, frequent replacement is required. Consequently, another common design objective is to provide a combustion chamber which is easily accessible and permits easy assembly and dismantling. Keast and Hamm et al have attachment features intended to facilitate replacement of combustion chamber parts.
While the attachment features of the aforementioned patents may satisfactorily perform their intended functions in the specific applications for which they were designed, a need exists for an attachment arrangement having broader, more generalized, application and utility.